JANUARY 2014 - $25.00
National Ice Cream Retailers Association
Flavor Trends
for 2014
by Melissa Healy
Weber Flavors
2014 is here and with it comes a new
year of flavor trends for ice cream.
2013 was full of interesting new flavor
combinations and trends and 2014 is
set to bring even more. Here are some of the trends to look
forward to.
SMOKEY/BROWN FLAVOR NOTES
This trend was big in 2013 and is expected to grow and
continue into 2014. Flavors in this category would include
smoky bourbon flavors, burnt and brown sugars, crème
brulee, and Indonesian and Tahitian vanillas. Some Smokey/
Brown concepts include:
FUDGE BOURBON CARAMEL ICE CREAM: Rich
Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream with a Whiskey Caramel and
Chocolate Fudge Swirl and Chocolate Chunks.
MAPLE BACON ICE CREAM: Maple Ice Cream with
smoky candied bacon pieces. This smoky sweet flavor also
works well with the breakfast flavors trend.
RASPBERRY CRÈME BRULEE ICE CREAM: French
Vanilla Custard or Crème Brulee Flavored Ice Cream with
a raspberry variegate or burnt sugar variegate and burnt
sugar pieces. This rich premium dessert translates well in ice
cream.
RETRO DESSERTS
From southern style peach cobbler and bread pudding to
pistachio pudding and pound cake retro desserts are on trend.
Other retro dessert concepts include:
PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY ICE CREAM: Peanut Butter
Flavored Ice Cream with a Grape or Strawberry Jelly type
Variegate. This nostalgic flavor would be popular with adults
looking to recapture tastes of their childhood and with kids as
a dessert version of the lunchtime favorite.
IN THIS ISSUE
Flavor Trends for 2014
by Melissa Healy, Weber Flavors.................................1
Master-Bilt Recognized.....................................................2
Food Addiction Claims Threaten Ice Cream Industry
by Garry Buttermann, TopHill Bakery LLC................2
When to Run, When to Hide: Tips that Could Save
Your Life
by Dennis Krebs...........................................................7
Wintertime Promotions
by Kelly Larson, Sweet Temptations............................8
Dingman’s Dairy Awarded Brass Ring..............................9
Are You Penny Pinching Yourself Out of Business
by Sean C. Castrina.....................................................10
Butter Prices.....................................................................11
Officers, Board Members, Supplier Officers...................12
OATMEAL SCOTCHIES ICE CREAM: Oatmeal cookie
ice cream with a butterscotch variegate and butterscotch
chips and oatmeal cookies pieces. An ice cream twist on the
popular classic cookie.
BOURBON BREAD PUDDING ICE CREAM: Bread
Pudding Flavored Ice Cream with a whiskey caramel
variegate, cake pieces and raisins. A boozy twist on a classic
dessert this also fits into the growing trend of liquor flavors in
ice cream.
RICE KRISPIE TREAT ICE CREAM: Crispy Rice Treat
flavored ice cream with a marshmallow variegate, Rice
Krispie Treat Pieces and Colorful confetti sprinkles. Kids and
adults alike love this nostalgic flavor.
SWEET POTATO PIE ICE CREAM: Sweet Potato Ice
Cream with a Brown Sugar Variegate and a Marshmallow
variegate. A fall favorite.
FUNNEL CAKE ICE CREAM: Funnel Cake flavored ice
cream with a powdered sugar variegate and fried dough or
pizzelle cookie pieces. A delicious ice cream version of the
delicious festival favorite.
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE ICE CREAM:
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Flavored ice cream with
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Pineapple Pieces, Maraschino Cherries and Yellow Cake
Pieces.
Cream Swirled with Donut Flavored Ice Cream and a Donut
Glaze Variegate with Donut Pieces.
STRAWBERRY SHORT CAKE ICE CREAM: Sweet
Creamy Ice Cream with a strawberry variegate, whipped
cream variegate and shortcake pieces.
BEVERAGE FLAVORS
Many fun popular flavors that have been happening in
the beverage industry are now making their way to frozen
desserts. Some fun concepts are:
BLACKBERRY COBBLER ICE CREAM: Blackberry Ice
Cream with a blackberry variegate and pie crust pieces.
BREAKFAST FLAVORS
Traditional breakfast flavors have been worked into desserts
and other meals lately and this trend is continuing into 2014.
Some concepts working into this trend are:
BLUEBERRY WAFFLE ICE CREAM: Waffle Maple Butter
Flavored Ice Cream with a blueberry variegate, waffle pieces
and blueberry pieces. Maple flavor is rising in popularity as
well and this would play into that trend as well.
ORANGE CINNAMON BUN ICE CREAM: Cinnamon Bun
Flavored ice cream with a cinnamon honey variegate and an
orange flavored frosting variegate with cinnamon bun pieces.
COFFEE & DONUTS ICE CREAM: Coffee Flavored Ice
SWEET TEA/ARNOLD PALMER ICE CREAM: Sweet
Tea flavored ice cream with a lemon variegate or a lemon
variegate and tea cake or sugar cookie pieces. Tea and Sweet
Tea specifically has been huge in the beverage industry in
the past few years and the flavor trend is now making its way
over to ice cream. Lemon and Honey are always popular
additions to this.
ROOT BEER FLOAT: Root beer flavored Ice Cream with
a fluffy vanilla cream variegate or Vanilla Ice Cream with a
root beer variegate. This popular treat made with ice cream
now works well as an all in one flavor.
CHERRY LIMEADE ICE CREAM: Cherry Ice Cream
swirled with Lime Sorbet.
CARAMEL MACHIATTO LATTE ICE CREAM: Coffee
or Espresso Flavored Ice Cream with a creamy caramel
variegate and chocolate pieces.
HORCHATA ICE CREAM: Horchata flavored Ice Cream
with a cinnamon honey variegate.
ALCOHOL FLAVORS
Alcohol and boozy flavors are making their way into many
desserts including ice cream. These fun adult flavors make
for very tasty ice cream. Some concepts include:
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2
MARGARITA ICE CREAM: Tequila Flavored Ice Cream
with a Lime variegate.
BLACKBERRY MOJITO ICE CREAM: Blackberry Mojito/
Mint Flavored Ice Cream with a Blackberry Variegate and
Blackberry and Mint Leaf Pieces.
BEER AND PRETZELS ICE CREAM: Chocolate stout beer
flavored ice cream with a chocolate stout fudge variegate,
a salted caramel variegate and chocolate covered pretzel
pieces.
IRISH COFFEE ICE CREAM: Irish Cream flavored ice
cream with a coffee variegate and a whipped cream variegate.
GREEK FROZEN YOGURT
Greek yogurt exploded in the market in 2013 and is set to
expand even larger into the frozen dessert market into 2014.
Here are some yummy concepts for this product trend:
TOASTED COCONUT GREEK FROZEN YOGURT:
Coconut Greek Frozen Yogurt with Toasted Coconut
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Flakes and Chocolate Chunks. This plays into the growing
popularity of coconut as well.
BLOOD ORANGE POMEGRANATE GREEK YOGURT:
Blood Orange Flavored Greek Yogurt with a Pomegranate
Variegate.
LEMONGRASS BASIL GREEK FROZEN YOGURT:
Lemongrass Basil Flavored Greek Yogurt with a Lemon
Variegate.
BLUEBERRY PINEAPPLE GREEK FROZEN YOGURT:
Pineapple Flavored Greek Yogurt with a Blueberry variegate
and Pineapple and Blueberry Pieces.
SUPPLIER MEMBER
SPOTLIGHT
Food Addiction
Claims Threaten
Ice Cream Industry
by Garry Buttermann
TopHill Bakery LLC
In 1994, the Associated Press reported a study stating, “Drug
cravings gene also linked to food addiction.”
CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE GREEK FROZEN
YOGURT: Cheesecake Flavored Greek Yogurt with Rich
Chocolate variegate and Graham cracker pieces.
In 2001, a researcher for the National Institute on Aging told
the Society for Neuroscience, “It appears that food addiction
is probably the major health problem in the United States.”
POMEGRANATE MANGO GREEK FROZEN YOGURT:
Mango Flavored Greek Yogurt with a Pomegranate variegate.
In 2009, former FDA Commissioner David Kessler published
a book titled The End of Overeating that claimed the food
industry develops processed foods that “hijack our brains.”
Have fun creating new on trend flavors and have a great 2014
season!
MASTER-BILT RECOGNIZED BY
FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT AND
SUPPLIES MAGAZINE AS 2013 BEST
IN CLASS
Master-Bilt, manufacturer of a full line of commercial
refrigeration equipment, was recognized for excellence by
Foodservice Equipment and Supplies (FE&S) magazine’s
2013 Best in Class study for the second consecutive year.
FE&S asked foodservice dealers, consultants and multi-unit
operators to rate individual manufacturers on a list of specific
attributes. Master-Bilt received the top ranking in Walk-in
Refrigeration in the Operators’ category in both 2012 and
2013.
Bill Huffman, Master-Bilt’s vice president of sales and
marketing, attributes their success to quality products and
outstanding attention to detail. “Master-Bilt attends to the
details that make a difference, such as five and six-inch
panel thicknesses, ideal for supporting snow loads and for
providing additional energy efficiency,” says Huffman.
“Since doors receive the most wear and are vital to good
refrigeration, Master-Bilt takes extra steps to design energy
efficient and durable doors. We offer quick ship, a wide
range of panel finishes, refrigeration systems and other
customizable options to enhance the customer’s experience.”
“We are very grateful to all the operators who chose us for
this award,” Huffman said. “It’s rewarding that our customers
place their trust in our products, and we are working to keep
earning that trust every day.”
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In 2011, Kessler was featured on “60 Minutes” in their
first segment on food addiction titled “The Flavorists.” He
claimed artificial flavors are getting people hooked stating,
“We’re eating fat on fat on sugar on fat with flavor.” His
theme that industry was hijacking our brains continued.
Since then, many others in the news have suggested sugars
and fats and salts are bad for our health and consumption
should be strictly regulated. The attacks on the food industry,
including the ice cream industry, are on the rise!
One example was a New York Times reporter who wrote a
book titled, “Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked
Us.” The author suggests that the food industry is conspiring
to find a perfect outcome of addictive foods by researching
and developing new flavors and tastes.
Another example was a Google search volume study of
the concept of addictive foods. A graph showed a dramatic
increase in searches spiking in 2004 and 2006 through 2011.
However, internet searches in 2012 increased at least tenfold
compared to 2011 and this trend is continuing. It seems
researchers and consumers are reacting to the negative press
more than ever before.
Recently, Opinion Research Corporation conducted a national poll indicating 58 percent of Americans already agree with
the statement that some foods are addictive and 51 percent
believe that food companies intentionally manipulate recipes
to create addictive foods. It seems the regulators conversely
have no problem with “hijacking our brains” despite Kessler’s warning.
Activists advancing the addiction theory are attacking the soft
drinks industry to establish a precedent to attack other types
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of food industries later. Specifically, the “addictive combination of sugar and caffeine” in colas is emphasized. Could the
“addictive combination of sugar and fat and salt coupled with
flavorings” in ice cream be next on their attack agenda?
currently? The FDA requires labeling for foods under the
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and its amendments.
Food labeling is required for most prepared foods, such as
breads, cereals, canned and frozen foods, snacks, desserts.
The activists will draw a parallel comparison between the ice
cream industry and the tobacco industry. We should recall
that over ten years ago, plaintiff’s attorneys were trying to
prove that consumers were not personally responsible for
their decisions to smoke cigarettes. Activists believe that the
“extra” sugar, salt, or fat in ice cream are the same as the
nicotine that makes cigarettes addictive. These people want
to use this idea to have government control how much sugar,
salt, and fat we can use in our recipes.
Obesity rates in the U.S. have consistently surpassed other
industrialized countries since 1960. According to Wikipedia,
in 1962 obesity for adults over 20 years of age was 13%
living at or near the poverty level. By 1997, it was 19.4%.
In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
reported 35.7% including 17% of all children. Obesity has
been cited as a contributing factor to approximately 100,000400,000 deaths per year and allegedly costs society roughly
$117 million in direct (treatment) and indirect (lost earnings)
in cost. Commentators and politicians speak of an “obesity
epidemic.”
We feel that rich, high quality ice cream is a product trying to
please more customers. But they feel it is a product of some
industry conspiracy. And if they prove that richer and tastier
ice creams contain “extra” ingredients, does this make them
addictive? And even if it can’t be “proven” addictive, will
the simple idea lead to government regulations on ice cream
products beyond the current regulations of today.
New warning label laws for packaging might only be the
beginning. Tobacco faced a multi-billion-dollar legal settlement after nicotine memos were discovered during the course
of class action lawsuits.
Yes, ice cream industry supporters should be warned that
it could happen to ice cream too if we don’t respond, both
individually and collectively. Yale’s Rudd Center for Food
Policy and Obesity is advancing the food addiction theory. So
is the National Institute on Drug Abuse. So is a former FDA
Commissioner.
In 2013, the American Medical Association declared that
obesity is more than a medical condition for overweight
Americans. It is a disease! This news brings into consideration the impact on consumer choices of good tasting
foods from advertising ice cream with sugar and fat and salt
content. In fact, shortly after AMA’s declaration, a columnist
from the Dallas Morning News demanded that Wendy’s new
pretzel bun cheeseburger must have a warning label.
So how far behind this news are the trial lawyers who are
looking for a new cause? Tobacco class action claims were
in the billions of dollars. The food industry is a much larger
target for lucrative settlements. All lawyers have to do is suggest that food executives “knew” their companies were selling “addictive foods” and they can use parallel comparisons
with tobacco lawsuits claiming consumers’ personal choices
were made under the influence of addictive foods advertising
and marketing ploys. Therefore, it’s not consumer personal
choice because it’s an addiction. Higher risk of contracting
obesity disease and/or heart disease was caused? Why didn’t
someone warn consumers? Lawyers can claim, “It’s not their
fault!” and jurors might listen.
Three U.S. studies showed a link between sweet soda and
fruit drinks to obesity. One study showed that “drinking
sugary drinks was affecting genes that regulate weight and
increased the genetic predisposition of a person to gain
weight.” The other two showed that “giving to children and
adolescents calorie-free drinks like mineral water or soft
drinks sweetened with artificial sweeteners resulted in weight
loss.” Ice cream was not mentioned.
American diets favor foods with high carbohydrate content.
A more sedentary lifestyle is another possible contributing
factor due to irregular physical activity where more than
60% of adults do not exercise and approximately 25% do not
exercise at all.
In summary, the first major battle over “addictive foods”
will be fought in the market place as activists and government pursue new regulations to control the distribution and
consumption of foods containing sugar and fat and salt.
Meantime, activist lawyers are working in hopes of finding sufficient cause to file class action lawsuits against food
manufacturers and marketers. This one-two punch will not
only affect the soft drink industry. Other food industries,
including ice cream, will be caught in the cross fire and must
be prepared to defend their good-tasting foods by educating
the public via advertising and other means.
NICRA members sell frozen dessert products loaded with
nutrients that create a healthy benefit to our customers! Our
products are priced so that all Americans can afford ice cream
including families in poverty. There are many positives associated to our products which offset any negatives that could
drag us over the “addictive foods” line. But we must be proactive in order to demonstrate those benefits to society before
the activist regulators can overwhelm us via legislation which
would limit our customers’ right to choose.
For more details on existing federal regulations harmful to
our industry and customer rights, contact The Center For
Consumer Freedom on their website at www.ConsumerFreedom.com in Washington, D.C.
How does the U.S. government address consumer concerns
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When to Run, When to Hide: Tips
that Could Save Your Life
by Dennis Krebs
It seems that mass casualty shootings—active shooter
situations in law enforcement terms—have been occurring
with alarming frequency. Yet, such sad incidents are nothing
new. One of the earliest recorded was in 1949 when a lone
gunman killed 13 people in Camden, New Jersey. Since that
time towns and cities like Jonesboro, Arkansas; Littleton,
Colorado; Fort Hood, Texas; Newtown, Connecticut; and
Washington D.C. are but a few of the places where the
ugliness of mankind has become apparent.
The law enforcement community as well as fire and rescue
services have adapted to meet these threats. Often times
however, these incidents end as quickly as they begin. The
Federal Bureau of Investigation notes the average active
shooter incident lasts less than 12 minutes; 37% last less than
5 minutes. Thus, relying solely on local law enforcement to
mitigate the situation may not be in your own best interest.
Forty-three percent of the time the assailant stops prior to the
arrival of police.
But simple measures can keep you, your friends, and your
family alive. Consider the following:
1. Mentally prepare yourself. Unless you have been trained
to deal with emergent situations, the simplest of actions
may be difficult to accomplish. One moment you may be
shopping for a Christmas or birthday gift, when suddenly
gunfire erupts. You can’t believe what you are seeing and
hearing. You want to do something…yet your muscles won’t
react. The mind has difficulty accommodating radical change.
Certainly someone being shot only feet away, when you are
purchasing a gift, could be considered radical change. So,
mentally prepare yourself. Take a second and play the “What
If” game. Is there a door at the rear of the store with an
exit sign over the top of it? That sign means the door or the
hallway beyond will lead to the outside of the building.
2. When in doubt, run. Grab the kids and run! Nope,
leave the packages behind. They are not worth your life. It
was surprising watching videos of the shooting incident at
Los Angeles International Airport on November 1, 2013.
Passengers were running through the terminal dragging one,
sometimes two pieces of luggage behind as they tried to flee.
Think about it, is there anything in that Samsonite that is
worth your life?
3. Assist others that may need help – and hide. Assist
others nearby that may need help in their escape. However,
do not fall victim to someone else’s reluctance to flee—get
out. If you are trapped, find an office, closet, or classroom.
Close and lock the door; barricade it with heavy furniture if
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necessary. And, find something heavy to hide behind, a large
desk or heavy piece of equipment will do nicely. At a recent
mall shooting, a store employee quickly closed the heavy
gate at the entry to the store so the shooter could not enter.
Great thinking!
It would be nice to think that we would never see another
mass shooting. Yet, the reality is that it will happen again.
Sometimes the simplest of measures can have the biggest
impact on life and death in tragic situations. Be prepared and
stay safe.
4. Keep yourself quiet. Stay quiet and silence your
cellphone. The last thing you need is for it to give away your
position. Shut off any radios or TV’s nearby, they may draw
the shooter’s attention.
Dennis R. Krebs spent 7 years as a tactical medic and a
combined 40 years in the fire and rescue service. His past job
titles include Captain of the Baltimore County Fire Department, Decentralized Medic for the Casualty Care Research
Center of the Department of Defense, Mission Support
Specialist for the Federal Protective Service of The Department of Homeland Security, Senior Mission Specialist for
the Johns Hopkins Division of Special Operations, instructor
of tactical medicine for S.W.A.T., and instructor of Tactical
Combat Casualty Care. Krebs has written guides including
When Violence Erupts, A Survival Guide for Emergency
Responders and Special Operations Mission Planning Guide.
He has also done countless articles, seminars, and periodicals
on fire, EMS, and law enforcement. His newest book Medic
Up: Where Criminals, SWAT Teams & Medicine Intersect is
based on his experiences in the field.
5. Call 911. Once you have escaped the area or have
barricaded yourself in a room, then call 911. Take a deep
breath and stay calm. Easier said than done, however the
911 operator will need to understand what you are trying
to convey. Your information is a monumental help to
responding law enforcement and fire/rescue. Let the operator
know where you are located and whether anyone with you is
injured. Did you see anyone else injured as you attempted to
escape or head to your hiding place. How many gunmen are
there? If you caught a glimpse of the shooters, provide their
physical description to 911 (height, weight, race, clothing,
etc.). What type weapons did they have—handgun or rifle?
The FBI reports that in 2% of cases the shooter brings along
improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Let the operator know
if you heard an explosion or you saw the suspect carrying any
strange looking devices. At Columbine, Harris and Klebold
set a number of IEDs throughout the school grounds.
6. Clarify your identity. When the police arrive, put your
hands up and drop anything that might be in your hands.
Remember, they aren’t positive who the shooter might
be. In fact, someone else seeing you running away may
have mistaken the cellphone in your hand as a weapon and
provided your description to responding officers. There have
also been instances where suspects have changed clothes.
7. Follow the officers’ directions. Follow the direction of
responding officers exactly. You may even be handcuffed
initially. Do not argue! Follow officers’ direction on which
way to evacuate. Do not attempt to retrieve personal belongs
prior to exiting!
8. Save a life – if possible. The reality of these situations
is that people will be injured. Some may die. However, you
may be able to save a life with a few simple interventions.
If someone is bleeding, grab whatever absorbent material is
nearby—towel, shirt, even a sock—and apply direct pressure
to the wound. Most bleeding can be controlled in this manner.
If no absorbent material is readily available, you can use the
heel of your hand. Rarely are there rubber gloves available
to protect against the spread of disease; any plastic material
within arm’s reach will do. Should you hear gurgling noises
from their airway, they may be choking on blood. Roll them
to their side to let the blood drain. Finally, cover them with
a blanket or coat to prevent shock. These efforts may just be
enough to save a life.
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Wintertime Promotions
by Kelly Larson
Sweet Temptations
Winter is here to stay and those of us who are still open
sometimes wonder what we are doing! Here are a few ideas
to keep customers coming in the door!
1. SALES - Just last weekend we had a spur of the moment
half price ice cream sale. Our ice cream sales were twice that
of those compared to the same weekend the year before. We
only advertised on Facebook and through our email list. I
also love to do white sales in January (anything white is 25%
off) as well as periodic cake sales (quarterly?). I advertise
those a bit heavier and get a great holiday preorder business.
2. SNOWING - I think I stole this idea from my friends at
Anderson’s, but for the last 5 years or so we’ve had ice cream
be half off when it’s snowing. This is a fun thing for our
customers and it makes them think of us when it snows. My
friend in the advertising business thinks that I should get mini
snow scrapers for cars and put “Half Off When It’s Snowing
at Sweet Temptations” on them. He figures I’d be slammed if
I went out during the first blizzard and stuck them on cars in
our local factory parking lots.
3. SUNDAE BARS - Who says your catering business
can’t be as busy in the slow season? There are as many
anniversaries, employee incentives and parties over the
winter as there are over the summer. With your extra time,
develop a catering plan and bring samples to your local
companies with your new flyer. Perhaps you could have a
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winter special. Heck, who wouldn’t love 200 sundaes at
$4.00 instead of $5.00 when it only costs you an hour or two
of labor this time of year?
4. FUNDRAISING - Start calling schools. Have incentive
nights where you give a portion of the sales. Have them
sell gift certificates for you. Call all of your local churches
and private schools and make sure you are on their SCRIP
list (and do double reward for the first month to get people
excited about buying your gift cards!). Then go to all of the
local non-profits. Have a fundraising night for them too, and
better yet, develop a sundae or a special flavor just for them
to push on their big night.
A fun group to partner with is your local schools’ Drama
departments. Last night we did a fundraising night for ours
and the characters from Charlotte’s Web came in costume and
signed autographs. The other local school, not to be outdone,
is coming in a couple weeks in their Beauty and the Beast
getups. I missed promoting this the first time to the local
elementary and preschools, but I will certainly do an email
blast to all of the school secretaries asking them to pass it on
to the teachers (and they will because it’s for the school!).
5. PARTY - Who says you can’t have fun this time of year?
On my calendar towards Christmas this year, we are going
to have an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. We also have a
PJ Party over the winter and added the International Eat Ice
Cream for Breakfast Day to our lineup. Make up a reason
and go with it. It doesn’t have to be expensive, it just has to
be fun and get people in the door. Ask for your employee’s
help.
DINGMAN’S DAIRY AWARDED 2013
BRASS RING FOR THE BEST NEW
PRODUCT
Dingman’s Dairy, Paterson, New Jersey was awarded the
2013 Brass Ring for the best new product in Food Services
at the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, Florida this past
November. Dingman’s Dairy, owners of Scara’s New York
Gourmet Italian Ice, was proud to accept the award for its 8
oz. chocolate Italian ice cup. The chocolate ice was judged as
having super taste as compared to others in the competition.
Dingman’s Dairy has been working on perfecting the new,
chocolate flavor and we are very satisfied with the results. It
has that old-fashioned taste and texture that is enjoyed until
the last spoonful. The chocolate ice is reminiscent of the
homemade ice made by small specialty shops in years past.
This is the seventh Scara’s flavor added to the 8 oz. cup line,
in addition to the existing 19 flavors in the 2.5 gallon tubs.
Scara’s New York Gourmet Italian Ices brand name was born
when Scara’s opened its retail store in Keyport, New Jersey
in 1995.
6. COMMUNITY EVENTS - Our fire safety week was midOctober. I provided my $1 gift certificates to all 6 local fire
departments to pass out to kids. There is a holiday parade
that we walk and pass out gift certificates. I could do a float
if I wanted to. Try to coordinate with what’s going on in
town instead of compete.
Winter sales in my neck of the wood won’t ever match the
summer, but we keep pushing them to help pay those bills!
Good luck!
Make Your Plans NOW
to Attend
NICRA’s 81st Annual Meeting
November 11-13, 2014
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Lexington, Kentucky
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Are You Penny-Pinching Yourself Out of Business?: Five
Expenses You Should Never,
Ever Skimp On If you’re a small business owner, it’s probably a vast understatement to say that you don’t
have money to burn. But
according to Sean C. Castrina, there are some areas in which
it doesn’t pay to cut costs. Here, he outlines five areas in
which you should never be cheap.
If you’re bootstrapping your own business, you know all
about doing more with less. The ability to stretch a budget is
a survival skill, especially in those cash-strapped early days.
And because you know you’re never much more than a bad
quarter or an unexpected expense away from closing your
doors, you’re always looking for new ways to save money.
But here’s the real question, says Sean C. Castrina: Are you
being cheap about the wrong things?
“If your goal is to cut costs at any cost, you’re heading into
dangerous territory,” says Castrina, author of 8 Unbreakbable
Rules for Business Start-Up (Champion Publishing, 2013,
ISBN: 978-0-989-10456-2, $14.87, www.newbizcoach.org.
“And too many entrepreneurs don’t just wander into Cheapskateville—they set up shop there.
“Avoiding unnecessary expenses is one thing; becoming a
fear-driven perpetual penny-pincher is another,” he adds.
“Too many people can’t see the difference. And that’s too
bad, because ‘cheapness’ can hurt the value of your product
or service, or the efficiency of your business, both of which
will drive customers away.”
Having started more than 15 companies in industries including direct mail, home services, property management, retail,
and more, Castrina knows just how tough it is to write checks
to employees, vendors, landlords, banks, etc. when your
hopes, dreams, credit, and livelihood are at stake. Yet making
those checks too skimpy can cost you big down the road.
“Subject every prospective cost-saving measure to this
litmus test: What are the possible short- and long-term effects of this decision?” he advises. “Will it save my business
money without negatively affecting profits? Sometimes, the
answer is ‘no.’”
Here, he takes a look at five penny-pinching sins that are
costing your business:
PENNY-PINCHING SIN #1: Paying employees the bare
minimum. Excessive tightfistedness on payday sends a very
clear message to your employees: “I place a low value on
you and what you do for my company. I don’t see you as a
person with talents and unique abilities, but as a debit on my
monthly expense report.” And that, Castrina points out, is the
10
kind of message that sends skilled employees running for the
hills, costing you money in lost productivity, turnover, and
customer dissatisfaction.
“Yes, some low-skill positions can be filled by just about
anyone and shouldn’t come with a high salary,” he comments. “But if you have experienced, efficient employees
with a high level of expertise, you need to compensate them
fairly. Quality employees can make or break your company.
Ask yourself: Would I want this person working for the competition? If not, pay them well and keep them on your team
indefinitely.”
PENNY-PINCHING SIN #2: Using an in-house bookkeeper. According to Castrina, too many small business owners do bookkeeping in-house. Why is that a problem? First,
he says, many boss-designated bookkeepers don’t completely
know what they’re doing. For instance, they may use unnecessarily broad headings or classify items incorrectly. Sooner
or later, your accountant (or worse, the IRS) will charge you
to correct these mistakes, saving you nothing.
“The larger problem, I’m sad to say, is that it’s easy for an
in-house bookkeeper to steal from you,” Castrina says. “It’s
happened to me and to many other small business owners.
Now, I’m adamant about hiring a third-party bookkeeper who
reports to me directly. I ask my staff to leave this contractor
alone, just as they would an IRS auditor.”
PENNY-PINCHING SIN #3: Skimping on legal services.
Castrina recalls going through a touchy legal matter several
years ago. When he described the matter to an older business
colleague, his colleague had this to say: “Your attorney is
a nice guy, and he’s good with general matters, but for this
situation you need a killer. You need someone whose name
strikes fear into the heart of opposing council!”
“I took my colleague’s advice because I knew he’d been in
my shoes,” Castrina says. “And I’m so glad I did! The matter
went away quickly and was some of the best money I ever
spent on higher-priced billable hours. For general matters, I
like hiring young, new-to-their-firms attorneys whose rates
are low and who are really trying to earn my business. But
for matters in which your company’s survival is at stake, hire
the best lawyer you possibly can.”
PENNY-PINCHING SIN #4: DIYing branded materials. “You have one chance to make a good first impression.”
We’ve all heard this advice our entire lives, but too often,
business owners forget it…often, to their detriment.
“We’ve all encountered a business that made a poor impression because their employees weren’t wearing uniforms or
because their signage wasn’t professionally created…and
don’t even get me started on forms, business cards, stationery, and websites made with ‘do it yourself’ kits!” Castrina
says. “The fact is, customers are always going to judge busi-
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nesses by their covers. So if you want to be paid like a great
company, you need to look like one.”
PENNY-PINCHING SIN #5: Relying on word-of-mouth
marketing. Have you ever heard of Budweiser? This, of
course, is a ridiculous question. Everyone has heard of Budweiser. Among (many) other things, the company produces
an endless stream of expensive, Hollywood-quality commercials just to remind consumers of the well-established fact
that it sells beer. The point is, no matter how successful they
are, great companies are always trying to communicate with
and attract potential customers.
“If I hear one more small business owner tell me that he or
she believes in ‘word-of-mouth marketing,’ I may scream!”
Castrina comments. “Don’t get me wrong; customer referrals
are very powerful and can really help drive your business.
But I’ve never owned or worked with a company—even
those with A+ BBB ratings—that owed more than a third of
sales to word-of-mouth business. The fact of the matter is, if
you try to save money by not budgeting for marketing, you’ll
save your way right out of business. You simply must spend
money to attract customers.”
“Here’s the bottom line: In business, you get what you pay
for,” concludes Castrina. “If you try to skimp on something
that affects the experience your company offers consumers
or that compromises its ability to run efficiently, your efforts
will probably backfire. As an entrepreneur, it’s good to be
frugal…but it really doesn’t pay to be cheap.”
About the Author:
Sean C. Castrina is the author of 8 Unbreakable Rules for Business Start-Up Success (Champion
Publishing, 2013, ISBN: 978-0-989-10456-2, $14.87, www.
newbizcoach.org) and the soon-to-be-released 8 Unbreakable Rules for Small Business Dominance. He is also founder
of newbizcoach.org. A successful business coach and a true
entrepreneur, he has started over 15 successful companies
over the last 18 years. His companies have ranged from retail,
direct mail marketing, and advertising to real estate development and home services. Sean is a sought-after speaker and
can speak with authority on what it takes to start, sustain, and
grow a business.
BUTTER PRICES
November 27, 2013 - Grade AA Butter finished at $1.6500
The weekly average was $1.6600. (2012 price was $1.6375)
December 6, 2013 - Grade AA Butter finished at $1.6450.
The weekly average was $1.6410. (2012 price was $1.5870)
December 13, 2013 – Grade AA Butter finished at $1.5700.
The weekly average was $1.6300. (2012 price was $1.5940)
December 20, 2013 - Grade AA Butter finished at $1.5525.
The weekly average was $1.6105. (2012 price was $1.5575)
Support prices for butter start at $1.05. Butter prices are reported from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange every Friday.
The Merc is considered a spot market for butter.
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11
2014 NICRA OFFICERS
President
Nanette Frey, Frey’s Tasty Treat, Inc., E. Amherst, N. Y.
President Elect
Carl Chaney, Chaney’s Dairy Barn, Bowling Green, Ky.
Vice President
Jim Oden, Debbie’s Soft Serve, Smithsburg, Maryland
Immediate Past President
David Zimmermann, Royal Scoop Homemade Ice Cream
Bonita Springs, Fla.
Executive Director
Lynda Utterback, Elk Grove Village, Ill.
Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2014
Valerie Hoffman, Yummies, Warsaw, N.Y.
Kelly Larson, Sweet Temptations, Grand Haven, Michigan
Johnny McGregor, Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina
Bob Turner, Dairy Corner, Urbana, Ohio
Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2015
David Deadman, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream
Madison, Wisconsin
Cliff Freund, Cliff’s Dairy Maid
Ledgewood, New Jersey
Vince Girodano, Sno Top
Manlius, New York
Bob Hearn, Hearn’s Ice Cream,
St. Marys, ON, Canada
Juergen Kloo, Joy Cone Co.
Hermitage, Pennsylvania
MISSION STATEMENT FOR NICRA
The mission of the National Ice Cream Retailers Association
(NICRA), a non-profit trade association, is to be the leader
in the frozen dessert industry that others look to for help,
support and education. NICRA will promote business growth
and development throughout the industry.
VISION OF THE ASSOCIATION
NICRA will associate with similar associations dedicated to
the same interests. NICRA will facilitate communication and
education that both newcomers and veterans in the industry
desire to be successful. NICRA will maintain a feeling of
family within the association as it grows, and be dedicated
to responsibly managing the association while maximizing
value to the members.
NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY
Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2016
Jim Brown, Penn State University, University Park, PA
Mary Leopold, Leopold’s Ice Cream
Savannah, Georgia
Jim Marmion, Advanced Gourmet Equipment
Greensboro, North Carolina
Neil McWilliams, Spring Dipper
Mammoth Spring, Arkansas
2014 SUPPLIER OFFICERS
President
Andrew Jones, Lloyds of Pennsylvania, Exton, PA
Vice President
Hank Sweeney, Classic Mix Partners, Neenah, WI
Secretary/Treasurer
Lisa Gallagher, ConAgra Foods, Naperville, IL
Chairman
Mary Kircher, Dingman’s Dairy, Paterson, New Jersey
COMMITTEES AND COMMITTEE
CHAIRMAN
Executive Committee
Nanette Frey, Frey’s Tasty Treat, Inc., E. Amherst, N. Y.
Nominating Committee
David Zimmermann, Royal Scoop Homemade Ice Cream
Bonita Springs, Fla.
12
Convention Committee
Carl Chaney, Chaney’s Dairy Barn, Bowling Green, Ky.
Membership Committee
Jim Oden, Debbie’s Soft Serve, Smithsburg, Maryland
Ice Cream Clinic Committee
Mark Leichtman
Scholarship Committee
Cliff Freund, Cliff’s Dairy Maid
Ledgewood, New Jersey
Web Site Committee
Jim Brown, Penn State University, University Park, PA
NICRA is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in
all of its endeavors. To that end, NICRA shall not tolerate
any words or acts of discrimination, harassment or any
inappropriate behavior in general against any person
affiliated with NICRA, including its members and guests,
with regard to race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national
origin, disability, marital status or sexual orientation.
This Bulletin is published by:
National Ice Cream Retailers Association
1028 West Devon Avenue
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-7226
847/301-7500 - Fax: 847/301-8402
Jim Oden, Chairman Publications Committee
Lynda Utterback, Editor
©2013 National Ice Cream Retailers Association
Vol. 35, No. 1
This issue of the NICRA Bulletin is now available online
at http://www.nicra.org. Click on the Members Only
button and enter your Username and Password. If you
cannot find your Username and Password, call the
NICRA office at 866-303-6960 or send an e-mail to info@
nicra.org requesting the information.
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NICRA January 2014